In these sessions I play at PartyPoker and typically play two tables around $3-$6 and $5-$10. I discuss any reads, stats etc I have on the opposition and explain the thinking process behind my decisions. The villains are a mixed bag: some are quite weak but others are solid regs at the 10-20 through to 20-40 limits. Although I often have to adapt to the weaker players I always try to explain how I would be playing similar hands at higher limits against tougher opponents. If/when I run card dead I am happy to pick up on questions posted by ps members. We usually have a few regs who turn up and the discussions are good. Once a month (last Thursday of the month) I am joined by Cornholio and we have a discussion based around the play.

Your feedback is wanted!

We want to know how you like the coaching and how we can improve. Please share your feedback in this thread!

About me:
My name is Byron Jacobs and I have been a PokerStrategist since 2009. I have made a number of videos and also produced an article jointly with Kobeyard. My speciality is FL, playing very short or HU. During the last couple of years I am trying to improve my skills in MTT play and there is also a series of videos I made with Jonathan Little which will help players who are of a similar standard to me (pretty competent, but not yet really good) in this game. I also write and publish poker books (dandbpoker.com). I enjoy the coachings - apart from the fact that after 90 minutes I usually have a sore throat
- as I find it is good for my game to be continuously obliged to articulate my thought processes. I really like to get feedback as I believe it is crucial to have your ideas examined by others and to hear their opinions.

I look forward to seeing you in my coachings, Byron Jacobs
Hope to see you in the coachings
.

hi byron
first of all i have a question: are you going to coach once a week? because i can´t find anything in the coaching plan for this thursday?!

i would like to thank you for your last coaching. there wasn´t a single thing i didn´t like about it
- the sound quality was perfect and i had no problems at all to understand you (i´m from germany, so no native english speaker) even when you had to talk a little bit faster because of the action
- you did a good job to fill the gaps (e.g. while searching for a new table) by talking about general hu topics like mindset etc.
- i really liked your explanations. i´m not playing FL anymore and i never was a great hu player so there should be other people who could give you a better feedback on that, but imo you did an awesome job here. you used some interesting lines and explained every decission very well by putting your opponent on a certain range + figuring out the best line to play against it. what i also liked a lot was the fact that you often commented on your opponents play and showed up some alternative (better) lines for him to play his holding.

This weeks session will start half an hour later than usual.
Please be reminded that from last week on this will be a weekly coaching session. Hope you like that, if that's the case - it will remain as a weekly coaching :-)

During coaching sessions, a few people have wondered about the rake at Party in the $3-$6 and $2-$4 games. I'd never given it any thought but I had a look after today's coaching and it is horrendous.

At both $3-$6 and $2-$4 HU you'll pay around $24 per 100 hands in rake. This means you have to beat opponents at 4-5BB/100 just to break even. My own stats show that at levels $15-$30 through to $30-$60 you don't pay much more than 1BB/100 in rake. In 2009 I had the screenname BrianCohen at Party and played (check it on PTR) 11K+ hands of $20-$40HU, paying $31.35/100 - only slightly more than at $3-$6 and $2-$4!!

The $3-$6 six-max is also appalling. The rate there is around 3.5BB/100 in rake.

When I'm coaching I don't use anything (hud, ptr etc) because I think it is (or at least should be) more instructive to try to get reads and estimate ranges as I am going along.

If I am just playing then I don't tend to use a hud for HU play (although I'll usually look up the opponent on ptr just to make sure he's not killing the 50-100 HU games) because I think it's actually a little distracting. Stats don't mean too much at HU. I can play sessions where I have the stats of a maniac (cos the other guy is a passive folding-station) or ones where I seem to be a total nit (cos bluff induction is more profitable than betting). Usually only takes about 15-20 hands to get a fairly good idea of the villain's style.

If I am six-maxing (say 3 tables) then I'll use a hud for sure but in general I think they are over-used. It's much better (and also more helpful to your poker skills) to follow the play closely and try to define ranges based on what your opponents are doing today rather than on what they might have done six months ago in completely different games.

This post has been edited 2 time(s), it was last edited by KelvinK: 28.11.2010 00:18.

Hi ByronJacobs,

I've just watched the first 4 part of your HU Strategy videos.

And there is something I don't agree with you.
It is in the part 4, at 40:00, the 35o hand.
I do think you should bet the turn and check behind almost every river.
It is pretty rare that he has a K, or a strong T. I put him on A highs, weak tens (under 8 maybe), or some kind of draws (for ex. J8, J9, 9Q, with JQ i think he'd raise).
So, Im pretty sure that you beat his range, so you should bet for a free-showdown, there is a little value in it too, and you defend your card against his 6 outs.

I've really enjoyed your videos, hopefully one day I'll get access for the diamond ones too.

He guys,
This& next week Byron is taking a little time off.
To make up with that Byron is going to have a promotional Coaching once again in the week before Christmas! So everyone with silver status + will be invited to join then...

Originally posted by frzl
...
i would like to thank you for your last coaching. there wasn´t a single thing i didn´t like about it
- the sound quality was perfect and i had no problems at all to understand you (i´m from germany, so no native english speaker) even when you had to talk a little bit faster because of the action
- you did a good job to fill the gaps (e.g. while searching for a new table) by talking about general hu topics like mindset etc.
- i really liked your explanations.
...